Economic Dynastism in Europe during 1700s came from growing populations, cosumer demand, English advances in agriculture and industry, but also from growth of mercantile empires overseas
Post 1715-Portugal, Dutch, and Spain retire back from European colonial development, leaving England and France as the two superpowers in this regard
Dutch decline
Weakened power after wars of Louis XIV created demographic and political stagnation
Population of 2.5 million didn’t rise in 18th century and the federation of loosely jointed provinces in Netherlands didn’t work well together
English and French Merchants tried to get rid of them as middlemen of maritime commerce
Heavy taxes+demand of Dutch artisans for high wages weakened them further by forcing up Dutch prices, therefore Dutch merchants started to work more in credit and finance than actual trade=first country to perfect paper currency, stock market, and a central bank
France Vs. Britain
France was the only state in Europe to have a large army+large navy and their rivalry with the British played out in four distinct areas: 1) The West Indies (sugar producing islands), West Africa (Slave trade), colonial expansion of North America (British 13 colonies, French trading areas), India (powerful companies for trade with them and other Asian nations)
French absolutism=centralized structure for control, rule across the seas
Britain=colonies remain somewhat independent, royal governors work with local assemblies and self government
French and British Mercantilism-Colonies can produce raw materials and provide protect markets for parent country goods, exploit them for the benefit of the parent country NOT just for those who invested or settled there
Seaborne commerce depends on naval power—Trade “Empire”
Profits of Global commerce
Colonies provide new products-sugar+stimulate consumer demand
1770s-commerce with colonies is 1/3 of British/French foreign trade
West Indies were ideal colonies-depended on European exports since they couldn’t produce much besides tobacco, cotton, indigo and sugar, and were also separated from the rest of European society, making slavery possible
Emergence of triangular trade-trade with a colony, get some raw materials for some manufactured ones, bring some of that raw stuff to another colony like Jamaica, trade for things like sugar, then bring it all back to Europe
Slavery
Trafficking was risky and competitive but highly profitable—originally chartered companies controlled it (connected to the Crown)
Didn’t colonize or conquer Africa, just established forts on the coast to coordinate and defend slavers—this was eventually broken by independent traders
Ordeal of Enslavement
Within Africa, the chiefs of aggressive local groups usually captured slaves and traded them for guns, liquor and other stuff—they controlled the prices cause they controlled the slaves
Most blacks died on the way to colonies, nightmarish “Middle Passage” and forced marches killed them, along with traders cramming as many as possible into the boats
Quakers and others who were anti slave trade eventually forced it to taper off post 1780, children of slaves still slaves though
Mounting Colonial Conflicts
Westward Expansion of American colonials made them better than French colonists anywhere else (independence)
French fishermen/fur traders prospered in Canada as soldiers established strongholds to protect/support them
French controlled Louisiana and established forts in New Orleans, Britain had to establish forts to make sure they didn’t try anything
Unsettled Ohio Valley—another source of conflict, French forts were a potential staging point for control of whole area between Appalachians and Mississippi river, which British colonists already controlled
Both sides wanted the American Indians to help them—French were just traders while British had forced them off their land, they help the French
Colonial militias+British forces combined to create a colonial defense
May 1756-French-Indian War, which is part of the greater Seven Years War
France starts off winning—key forts on the Great Lakes fell to them, Britain’s forces they sent over get massacred
French forces spread thin however, dependence on naval support for troops would prove to be a problem—England begins to beat them navally in the 1750s
William Pitt—British Prime Minister in 1758, eloquent and suprememly confident, single minded and never timid
Sent a majority of the British Fleet to cover the French home fleet
In 1759 when France tries to invade Britain to draw them to the peace table, Pitt is ready fo rhtem and beats them a whole lot
France can’t bring any men or supplies to the colonies and cannot repel the British in America
By September 1760, Montreal falls to the British
Treaty of Paris-1763
Britain gave the French a few of their sugar producing islands back
Controlled Canada (removing threat of France for the colonies, less loyalty to the British in the colonies
Excluded any French troops from India
British Foothold in India
London-East India Company
Originally the British/French didn’t use any armed forces in India, local rulers were perfectly willing to trade to make some money
Bengal ruler sided with the French, incited British wrath
Robert Clive used a jealous general to take control of Bengal and after that, rulers in India became figureheads—Dual governments emerge
EIC/British Crown have unchecked power--taxation, trade control, increased military control
Civil wars within India made it easier for Britain to take control, defeat of the last serious attack in 1764 led to complete control
India Act of 1784-Parliament names a new ruling official in Lord Cornwallis
Cornwallis turns Indian rural gentry into landlords—title deeds, control of eviction, “owners in the Western sense”
British magistrates control police forces and tax collection, monopolies on salt and opium are vital
Educators and reformers come in with the hope to create people with Indian blood and color, but English taste, opinion, morals and intellect
1830s-Britain wasn’t merely extracting wealth and strategic advances, but imposing their values on the Indian people
Eighteenth Century Empires
Pages 542-551
Economic Dynastism in Europe during 1700s came from growing populations, cosumer demand, English advances in agriculture and industry, but also from growth of mercantile empires overseas
Post 1715-Portugal, Dutch, and Spain retire back from European colonial development, leaving England and France as the two superpowers in this regard
Dutch decline
Weakened power after wars of Louis XIV created demographic and political stagnationPopulation of 2.5 million didn’t rise in 18th century and the federation of loosely jointed provinces in Netherlands didn’t work well together
English and French Merchants tried to get rid of them as middlemen of maritime commerce
Heavy taxes+demand of Dutch artisans for high wages weakened them further by forcing up Dutch prices, therefore Dutch merchants started to work more in credit and finance than actual trade=first country to perfect paper currency, stock market, and a central bank
France Vs. Britain
France was the only state in Europe to have a large army+large navy and their rivalry with the British played out in four distinct areas: 1) The West Indies (sugar producing islands), West Africa (Slave trade), colonial expansion of North America (British 13 colonies, French trading areas), India (powerful companies for trade with them and other Asian nations)French absolutism=centralized structure for control, rule across the seas
Britain=colonies remain somewhat independent, royal governors work with local assemblies and self government
French and British Mercantilism-Colonies can produce raw materials and provide protect markets for parent country goods, exploit them for the benefit of the parent country NOT just for those who invested or settled there
Seaborne commerce depends on naval power—Trade “Empire”
Profits of Global commerce
Colonies provide new products-sugar+stimulate consumer demand1770s-commerce with colonies is 1/3 of British/French foreign trade
West Indies were ideal colonies-depended on European exports since they couldn’t produce much besides tobacco, cotton, indigo and sugar, and were also separated from the rest of European society, making slavery possible
Emergence of triangular trade-trade with a colony, get some raw materials for some manufactured ones, bring some of that raw stuff to another colony like Jamaica, trade for things like sugar, then bring it all back to Europe
Slavery
Trafficking was risky and competitive but highly profitable—originally chartered companies controlled it (connected to the Crown)Didn’t colonize or conquer Africa, just established forts on the coast to coordinate and defend slavers—this was eventually broken by independent traders
Ordeal of Enslavement
Within Africa, the chiefs of aggressive local groups usually captured slaves and traded them for guns, liquor and other stuff—they controlled the prices cause they controlled the slaves
Most blacks died on the way to colonies, nightmarish “Middle Passage” and forced marches killed them, along with traders cramming as many as possible into the boats
Quakers and others who were anti slave trade eventually forced it to taper off post 1780, children of slaves still slaves though
Mounting Colonial Conflicts
Westward Expansion of American colonials made them better than French colonists anywhere else (independence)French fishermen/fur traders prospered in Canada as soldiers established strongholds to protect/support them
French controlled Louisiana and established forts in New Orleans, Britain had to establish forts to make sure they didn’t try anything
Unsettled Ohio Valley—another source of conflict, French forts were a potential staging point for control of whole area between Appalachians and Mississippi river, which British colonists already controlled
Both sides wanted the American Indians to help them—French were just traders while British had forced them off their land, they help the French
Colonial militias+British forces combined to create a colonial defense
May 1756-French-Indian War, which is part of the greater Seven Years War
France starts off winning—key forts on the Great Lakes fell to them, Britain’s forces they sent over get massacred
French forces spread thin however, dependence on naval support for troops would prove to be a problem—England begins to beat them navally in the 1750s
William Pitt—British Prime Minister in 1758, eloquent and suprememly confident, single minded and never timid
Sent a majority of the British Fleet to cover the French home fleet
In 1759 when France tries to invade Britain to draw them to the peace table, Pitt is ready fo rhtem and beats them a whole lot
France can’t bring any men or supplies to the colonies and cannot repel the British in America
By September 1760, Montreal falls to the British
Treaty of Paris-1763
Britain gave the French a few of their sugar producing islands back
Controlled Canada (removing threat of France for the colonies, less loyalty to the British in the colonies
Excluded any French troops from India
British Foothold in India
London-East India CompanyOriginally the British/French didn’t use any armed forces in India, local rulers were perfectly willing to trade to make some money
Bengal ruler sided with the French, incited British wrath
Robert Clive used a jealous general to take control of Bengal and after that, rulers in India became figureheads—Dual governments emerge
EIC/British Crown have unchecked power--taxation, trade control, increased military control
Civil wars within India made it easier for Britain to take control, defeat of the last serious attack in 1764 led to complete control
India Act of 1784-Parliament names a new ruling official in Lord Cornwallis
Cornwallis turns Indian rural gentry into landlords—title deeds, control of eviction, “owners in the Western sense”
British magistrates control police forces and tax collection, monopolies on salt and opium are vital
Educators and reformers come in with the hope to create people with Indian blood and color, but English taste, opinion, morals and intellect
1830s-Britain wasn’t merely extracting wealth and strategic advances, but imposing their values on the Indian people